Review - Boston Butt, Fort

Food: 4/5
VFM: 4.5/5
Ambience: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Veg friendly: 4/5

This is a fairly new place in Fort, which means it already has a lot to live up to considering the amazing places nearby. Yet it lives upto the challenge and how! Boston Butt is actually the American name for the cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the shoulder from the front leg. It is the most common cut for pulled pork, a barbecue staple. It originated in Boston and hence was known countrywide as the 'Boston Butt'.
 
And now we know it in India too! 
 
On to the food and drinks now..
 
My friend ordered a cocktail, Blasé Blasé. I don't recall the ingredients, however she said it was strong and yet smooth, which is a good thing. 

 

Siddharth Kashyap, the owner, suggested we try the kaffir which was carbonated using SCOBY. Scoby stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It adds a sharp fizziness to the drink. I am not a fan of fizzy drinks per se but this was great! 

We also had the apple cinnamon and ginger, which was similarly carbonated and delicious. The ginger worked great as a palate cleanser, whereas the apple cinnamon tastes like Cinnabon! It was like I was drinking Cinnabon. I couldn't get enough of it.
 

My friend, being a non-vegetarian, got the Buffalo style chicken lollipop with a Gorgonzola and blue cheese dip. It was spicy, super spicy. She had tears streaming down her face and she was saying 'oh my God this is delicious!' Hilarious but she loved it. It had been slow barbecued and she said there was a smoky flavor in each bite. Surprisingly, she managed to finish it. Siddharth said most people are unable to without copious amounts of dip.
 

I, on the other hand, got the smoked bbq potato skin. Loaded with yellow cheddar and mascarpone (which looked like dainty whipped cream), caramelised onion, all topped off with a jalapeño slice and scallion. It was superbly done and had that smoky flavor as well. 

So they bake even the veg dishes in the charcuterie, which I loved, because why should us veggies miss out of these amazing flavors?

Next up, bloom bread. That is a round bread with criss-cross cuts, all stuffed with cheddar, Gouda and burnt garlic. It was yummy and melty and each bite was a delight. However, the bread was gone a little too soft due to the cheeses getting soaked through. Maybe if they used a firmer bread like sourdough it might hold its texture better? Just a thought.

After that, we had the four cheese Mac and cheese. White cheese, yellow cheddar, Gouda, parmesan, and sundried tomato. Served with a crispy slice of bread. I am a cheese fan and I absolutely loved the medley of flavors in each bite.
 

Up next, smoked bean mini sloppy. Served with cider slaw. By the time I reached this dish I was pretty much stuffed already. But it was really cute, tiny and yummy. But considering this place is known as a charcuterie, you would be better off trying their bbq specialties.
 

My friend had the chicken chilli, which she liked, but she preferred the chicken lollipop mentioned about because of the perfect spices and the smoky flavor.
 

To top it all off, Siddharth suggested we get their skillet cookie. That's basically a HUGE cookie baked right in the skillet. Served with three types of house-made ice cream - chocolate, vanilla and salted caramel. It was DIVINE. I thought I was full before but clearly I was wrong. It was so good that I would go back just for that. I should go back soon, in fact. Specially the salted caramel, God, that takes it to another level altogether.

Also, the singer for the night was Ramya Pothuri, an amazingly talented vocalist and guitarist. She is absolutely amazing, and she's been performing since the age of 5. Check out her Facebook page. They have live performances pretty often and jazz is a favourite, from what I heard. 
 

VFM: For the variety and complexity of flavors on offer, the price seems to be worth it. The service and the ambience is also fabulous. If you consider that, which you should, then the price is most definitely worth it.
 

Ambience: Amazing! The place is beautifully done up, reminiscent of pre-Prohibition era charcuteries. Loved the vibe. 

 

Service: Very attentive, I didn't even have to ask for a water refill. The servers were just that good.
 

Veg friendly: For a place that specialises in meats, cold cuts, bbq, and the works, I didn't expect much in the way of veg. I was pleasantly surprised about the number of options there. Enough for even a picky vegetarian - I should know, I am one! 

This review was on invite, and the meal on the house. However, all views are unbiased.

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Review - California Pizza Kitchen, Lower Parel

Food: 4.5/5
VFM: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Veg friendly: 3.5/5

Absolutely adore this place. I've been there multiple times and never got around to writing a review. Must do now!

Veg Platter: 4/5

The usual veg platter has a different combination of starters, but the CPK Dessert Festival is going on, and their platter seems delightful. So I ordered. And it was! 

Hummus with flavoured pita, spinach and corn cakes, bruschetta, quesadilla, cheese sticks and paneer taquitos, with a yummy dip. I loved the cheese sticks (obviously) with the sharp melty cheese. The table had a divided opinion on the paneer taquitos but I liked it. Hummus was good, and so was the quesadilla. 

Capri Pizza: 5/5

Utterly delightful! Exotic veggies, pomodoro sauce (that's tomato, basically), and a rolling of arugula and basil leaves, with lemon herb dressing and thin slices of parm to finish it off. Undoubtedly one of the best pizzas I've had in Bombay. 

 
Lately I have been more open to experimenting with mushrooms and I'm pleased to say that this pizza opened the door a bit more for mushroom to gain entry to my life.
Chocolate Trinity: 4.5/5

The bottom layer is a chocolate devil sponge cake. Then comes baked dark chocolate, cream and chocolate mousse, and a dusting of cocoa powder. With chocolate crumbs sprinkled around and some on top as well. They could have done a way better job of presentation, like see the chocolate? It looks like someone has alread eaten through it. Not great. Yet it tasted good enough to make up for it. But minus 0.5 for presentation definitely.


So I took a picture from another angle.

VFM: It's a tad expensive, but pizza in India is. And if you can spend that much on a pizza chain, it's definitely more worth your money here. Desserts are all worth it. The sundae is amazing too.
 
Ambience: The place is open and airy, yet with booths that afford a sense of privacy.
 
Service: My favourite kind of service here - attentive and unobtrusive. But when there's a rush, they're a tad distracted.
 
Veg friendly: Enough to keep a vegetarian happy, though there are more non-veg options overall.

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Review - Family Tree, Thane

Food: 4.5/5
VFM: 5/5
Ambience: 5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Veg friendly: 5/5

When I first heard of this place, I was quite intrigued by the concept, and I heard a lot about the cute chairs. But Thane is too far! So it was providence that got me an invite from Family Tree, and how could I refuse then?

Once again, as I've been mentioning in my reviews lately, read with a full tummy.

The menu is created in a family photo album style, and this is is the first page:

So heartwarming! Right then, I knew that it was going to be a good place, and that was even before I heard of their 40 year old legacy of much-loved restaurants in Thane. Chef Kabir told me about their other two restaurants, and how this is completely his endeavor under their umbrella. When I heard about it, I knew that this would be a good place, because staying in the restaurant business for 40 years is a commendable job. 

Right off the bat, before we could think of what to order, Chef Kabir sent over the Raspberry Cheesecake dessert shake. How cool that I started my meal with a dessert!

It was sweet, but not overly sweet. It tasted like an actual cheesecake and very few places can manage to do that! It was thick and delightful, and the thickness of the straw should be enough to let you know how deliciously creamy this shake was. 

It was garnished with whipped cream, raspberry syrup, and that's cheese, not white chocolate slivers! What can I say, the combination totally worked. 

We were quite intrigued by the juices, and ordered a mosambi-ginger juice. 

I loved the taste, and I asked how they made it.  Apparently the ginger is pulsed before blending it with the mosambi. It had such a wonderful taste, with just the right amount of sharpness. Many of you home cooks will like this, I'm sure.

Next up, the Jamun shikanji lemonade. 

Shikanji means spiced lemonade. Jamun shikanji, hence, is jamun added to spiced lemonade. It tasted like it was pretty healthy. Like some foods are just good for you, and you can feel it. The rim was dipped in lemon juice and then dipped in rock salt and Kashmiri chilli powder. It adds a whole different kick to the drink.

Lastly, I had the smoked strawberry chiller. I was so intrigued by their drinks menu. I am usually quite happy with plain water, but I couldn't stop myself from trying out the drinks here. And boy, am I glad I did!

It just looks so pretty! Like a cross between a gola and a slushie, I was alternately drinking it, and eating it with a spoon. The best drink here! I again asked how they made it, and I was told that they smoked the strawberry with a blowtorch and then pulsed it.

On to the soup now. First, the burnt garlic soup.

Perfect for those rainy days. This will surely clear your head, stuffy with cold or otherwise. You can taste the garlic in every spoonful. Quite a treat!

We also got the lemon chili tofu soup.

It was quite understated, and delicately delicious. I had way more of this than I intended to. A must-try, and they're generous with the tofu! I like soups that manage to be understated, yet bursting with flavor. This takes it all.

I had read a lot of recommendations of the Naanza, and Chef Kabir also suggested we try it, so we did! And I'm glad we did. 

Tortilla, cottage cheese, baked beans, veggies. Topped with sour cream and basil, served with salsa dip and sour cream.

How can I go out and not order nachos? I think I'm addicted to nachos. The Mexican baked nachos were great, served with salsa and topped with lots of yummy yummy cheese. There was more than enough jalapeno there and I liked it even though I'm not usually a fan of those! You can see the Naanza in the background!

By now we were pretty full (I have a tendency to stuff myself with appetizers), yet I still did want to try one of the mains, so we ordered Spaghetti Aglio Olio. Now this is a very simple dish, and yet, or probably because of that, it's difficult to pull off.

Chef Kabir has added an Indian twist to this dish, and it was a bold attempt. I totally loved the addition of burnt garlic to the spaghetti, but I feel like this could be a polarizing dish. If you love it, you'll totally love it though! Top points from me. Also, who can resist cherry tomatoes?

It was served with fresh, warm garlic bread. If you like garlic, or if it's raining, or if you just want an avant-garde version of Aglio Olio, try it out. You won't regret it.

Lastly, to top of the meal, there was Paan ice cream. Isn't that cute? It was stuffed with ice cream and topped with a cherry. It was so cold! What a combination of textures! A novel dish that you should try atleast once.

VFM: This place gets major VFM points. What you see in the pictures are half portions. Yes, if you order the same things, you'll get double the quantity. Definitely value for money. 

Ambience: It has a nice, homely atmosphere, and I so wanted to take a pictures of the chairs to show you guys, but people kept coming in, and there wasn't a single unoccupied table. Which just goes to show how popular this place already is! Also, I didn't want to be that creep who takes pictures of chairs when people are sitting in it. The menu is family album styled and the wall is also decorated the same way, with mirros and knick knacks.

Service: Pretty good, and I could see that Chef Kabir was really making an effort to train the servers in the details of every dish and it came across. Our server was pretty knowledgeable too. As always, discreet yet attentive is my favorite kind of service, and Family Tree manages that, for the most part.

Veg friendly: Yes! So much! They can make a good number of their dishes Jain friendly too.

The ones I would be back for: Smoked Strawberry Chiller, Lemon Chili Tofu soup, Spaghetti Aglio Olio

The ones I want to try next: Nutella Shake, Pesto Lasagna

*This review was on invite, and the meal on the house. However, all views are unbiased.

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Review - 145 Kala Ghoda, Fort

Food: 3.5/5
VFM: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Veg friendly: 3/5

This place has a pretty nice ambience, effortlessly switching from a restaurant by day to a happening hotspot by night. We had a pretty weird melange of dishes, but it was decent overall.

According to them, their ambience is evocative of Bombay nostalgia. I didn't feel that, but I guess it's a matter of perspective. My favorite part was Tom and Jerry playing on the projector.

I do love Tom and Jerry (who doesn't?) and that instantly made me feel like, yeah, maybe this place would be nice. 

Kickstarter - eggs, hash browns, a solitary sausage, bacon strips, bread and a banana smoothie. From my hardcore non veg friend, the smoothie was the best part. She was pretty disappointed with the food, and the bacon was not tender at all. The sausage was not great either. 

Nutella pancake - Beautiful. Just amazingly beautiful. Chocolate chip pancakes slathered with Nutella. Served with maple syrup and melted butter. 

I cannot stop thinking about it. If you have just one thing on the menu, make it this. You will not regret it. Look at it, just look!

S'mores tower - marshmallow, Nutella, cake, repeat. Six layers of deliciousness. 

And it turned from a marshmallow into a beautifully burnt marshmallow, with a blowtorch right at the table. I do like that blue flame. This was sooooo sweet. The pancake was comparatively balanced in terms of sweetness. This was a little on the sweeter side. Maybe it would be fine without the Nutella; it might temper the sweetness. Just a thought. I'm the first one to proclaim my love for Nutella, but sometimes it's alright to not add it to things. 

VFM : I feel like the place is slightly over priced for the quantity as well as quality. They could do well to make it affordable, but considering its a maxed out nightspot I guess it's to be expected. 

Ambience : Decent, but doesn't give me that nostalgic feeling. However it's pretty clean and hygienic, plus brownie points for the Tom and Jerry love. 

Service : Attentive and unobtrusive, this kind of service is my favorite. It always hits the sweet spot and for me, service should be exactly like this. 

Veg friendly : Enough options for vegetarians, but could be better. Plus there are quite a few options that include egg so that isn't great for people who don't eat egg. 

It's nice, but competition is high in the area here. I still might go back for the Nutella pancake. 

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